The Warrior from the 70th District of Rukongai
by TheRatLover
Summary: A lonesome boy in the Soul Society is left to defend himself. He only has his body, knowledge, and power. No friends and no life except to survive. What will be made of him when he gets the opportunity to become a shinigami? Will he achieve happiness? First official story and constructive criticism is welcomed! *UNDERGOING REWRITE*
1. The Beginning of the End

**Author's Note: I use many Japanese/Bleach terms which describe the less than accurate american name. For most of the items, I just called it the American simplified version but follow up with its name in Japanese/Bleach, which is more accurate item which I would like you, the reader, to imagine. If you don't know what to imagine, just look the Japanese/Bleach term up and find a picture. The rest is all derived from the anime Bleach. The canon characters and past experiences belongs to the rightful owners of Bleach. I only own this story and the characters. Enjoy!**

* * *

The Soul Society. The afterlife for souls. The waiting place for rebirth. The living place for the dead. Many people call it different names.

In the far corner of Rukongai, in the 70th district of the West, lived the fearful people. The whole district is in shambles. Many hide in the shadows, making sure they wouldn't fall victim to numerous bandits who launch random attacks for the smallest amount of food. Some try to stop the attacks but many fail. Those who do survive and fend off the attacks often leave to become Shinigami, leaving behind the trash district. Those who survive by living in the shadows only wait until their rebirth, ever hoping to end this poor style of living.

* * *

**Slash!** **Klang!**

A group of bandits rigidly stood in the tower of light, attentive of the attacks coming from the shadows. A group of trees surrounded the light, providing shadows to the unknown. The cold evening air pierced their bodies, causing them to shake in their boots. Their breath could be visibly seen, creating little clouds which float but dissipate. They wore regular tan rags which covered their bodies, revealing light leather armor underneath. It was deadly silent. The bandits' hearing was pierced by anxious heartbeats. Then, the slaying began.

One by one, the attacker slowly cut them down until only one bandit was left. The last bandit was shivering, no, trembling. He shakily held his sword, or katana, in his hands, keeping his feet directly under his shoulders, eyes wide, sweat dripping from his brow. His flimsy hair whipped back and forth as he continuously changed directions, eyeing the shadows as if they would develop a limb.

From behind, a sword appeared from thin air and sliced through the bandit's back, effectively putting him down without a yelp. The handle of the sword is detailed to strike harshly against the seer, imposing bright red scratches along the black handle. A string is tied to the bottom of the sword, flowing through the wind. The sword is sleek like polished metal. It held the form of a katana, slightly bent along the sharp blade. It glinted in the light, blood dripping from the tip onto the ground. The katana came out from the darkness, attached to a hand then a body.

A right arm entered the light, displaying fair skin which disappeared into the dark blue sleeve of a shirt, or kosode. A few cuts made its way into the kosode, striking the fair skin underneath. The light illuminates the clothing, exhibiting the yellow stripes on the contrasting sleeve. His trouser, or hakama, was as dark as the night, reflecting no light whatsoever. Finally, the 130 year old (13 in human years) boy stepped into the light, standing at a height of 5'4" and exposing his light brown hair which reached down to the top of his eyes, curling at the tips. He wore an aging shark tooth necklace, crusted with years of dirt and sweat. His slim body fit well into his hakama, not showcasing lots of his body except his sculpted chest. His eyes were almond shaped, housing black eyes. His cold stare matched perfectly with the thin line that shapes his lips and sharp jawline.

The boy flicked his katana towards the ground, cleaning the blade of blood. He slid his sword back into his black scabbard which hung loosely upon his hip. He turned around, meticulously scanning the outcome of the hard fought battle. His eyes laid upon the group of young boys who were originally attacked, staring in awe. The savior slightly nodded towards the boys, acknowledging them. Once the group swallowed air in equal acknowledgement, the savior walked back into the shadows of the broken city.

* * *

The boy walked into a worn out hut, fixed with loose wooden boards that lost its vibrant color from weathering. The inside of the hut was consumed in darkness, aside from the few slim cracks within the dying walls, allowing for light to pierce the empty shell of darkness. It was simple and bare, having one door for both entrance and exit, and no windows to take a peek inside. Inside, it matched the same decor as outside. One side contained a neat pile of wool skin and another set of clothing while the other side exposed the poor amount of food the boy had. In the middle of the hut lied a small fire pit, surrounded with stones and dirt. The last few struggling embers burned slightly in the dead silence.

As the boy entered, he sat near the fire pit, releasing the stress from his joints. He groaned from the pops coming from his body, feeling so liberated yet tired. He removed the top half of his clothing, displaying a deep scar which traveled from his right elbow to his shoulder. His chest was hairless, allowing for it to be presented quite nicely. His upper body was styled with a red dragon tattoo on his left shoulder, wrapping around to his back. His arms were littered with small numerous cuts, fresh from his battle not even an hour ago. He folded his top to a nice pile, presenting the name "Hikari". He started a small fire and slowly succumbed to sleep.

* * *

Hikari groggily woke up the following morning, his body refusing to move extensively. He fought more people than he had trained for, truly pushing him to his limits.

Hikari re-examined the cuts on his body, reminding him of his much needed training. He quickly washed himself and dressed into his kosode and hakama, riddled with the same dirt and scratches of yesterday's battle. Determined, he exited his hut in the early morning and walked towards an open area that had only five trees. The trees don their own wounds; their age reflecting from both old and new cuts in the wooden skin. Hikari unsheathed his sword, and started his training once more. During his training, his mind wandered back to review his time so far in the Soul Society.

* * *

Waking up in this terrible district where many ran and begged to live. Clothes are a rarity. Old, dirty rags are common attire and not many people had the privilege of wearing sandals. Hikari first woke up in the middle of the night, luckily, with no bandits to attack him. With no recollection of his previous life, he sought out to create a new path of his own. Through time, he learned he was in the 70th district of Rukongai, far away from the center and capital of the Soul Society, Seireitei. To make sure he wouldn't die for the second time, he slowly relearned his past fighting experience, able to fight off small groups of bandits. Through many years of training and staying in this hell, Hikari consistently practiced his techniques and fought lowly thugs that attacked the weak, creating a defensive reflex. Upon one of his fights, he fought against a small-time bandit gang, barely scraping by and defeating the group. The person he saved happened to be a weaponsmith from a different district. He was so thankful for his help that he gracefully rewarded Hikari with a sword from his collection. One specific sword seemed to whisper to Hikari, goading him to pick it up. He felt as though the sword was important, feeling the familiarity of warmth and killer intent, the most unusual combination. Hikari's hair stood on his arms, the sword seemed to challenge him, giving him a thrilling feeling. That was when he picked out his sword, the katana with a black handle and red scratches. `

Ever since then, Hikari had been practicing with his sword. He tended to lean towards fighting from the shadows, making it easy to cut down the enemy. He still practiced his hand-to-hand combat once in a while but mainly relied on his sword. Several years later, Hikari found out about the Shinigami Academy, Shin'o Academy. The admission to the academy was decided by a reiatsu test, determining whether or not a soul has enough willpower to go further than regular techniques. After countless hours and days of training, Hikari decided to take the test with the hopes of becoming stronger to protect the weak. Another benefit was getting out of this hellhole and having an actual home. That was 3 months ago. Hikari was still waiting. And hoping.

* * *

Hikari was breathing heavily, his muscles pushing through the strain. He looked behind himself, knowing he heard footsteps. His hearing became shallow, focusing on his own being. He could hear his heart speeding up, threatening to burst from his chest. He took a deep breath, creating small steam clouds, calming his heart down and regaining his energy. His hearing slowly came back, his heart returned to normal, beats fading from his hearing. From the still and dark forest, a person in an all black official Shinigami uniform, or a shihakusho, emerged, walking towards Hikari until he stopped a few feet away.

"Hikari, you have been accepted to the Shin'o academy. Please pack as much things you can take with you. We will not make multiple trips."

Hikari is dead silent, no longer practicing. He closed his eyes and breathed in, taking one of his last breaths in the 70th district. He felt his heart racing in anticipation. It's time to go.


	2. The First Day of Shin'o Academy

**Author's Note: This is my attempt at an action scene. I have reviewed this chapter multiple times and researched so much, I hope this is consistent with real life. I hope you like it! Thank you for reading!**

* * *

The whole way to the Shin'o academy was predominantly silent with only nods and grunts being exchanged. While they traveled, Hikari passed through many unfamiliar districts: towns decorated brightly, safe homes, streets with lights and guards, and children playing around in the streets! Hikari wished his home was as warm as this but knew he couldn't do anything as of right now. He planned to be back later, much later.

He continued on his journey in silence and kept an eye out for any potential danger, which thankfully, there were none. His anxiety grew as they approached the center of the city. The whole trip took nine whole days, but finally they had reached their destination: Shin'o Academy.

* * *

Hikari looked up towards the humongous building with large eyes. He was shaking with excitement, a smile adorning his face. With a giant smile, he started his journey to become a full-fledge Shinigami.

Once he entered the academy, he was shown to his new dorm: fully furnished with a bed, wardrobe, and bathroom. He was also given a new shihakusho, the shinigami's official uniform but the academy version. It was a white kosode with blue-gray stripes down the side of both arms and a hakama of the same blue hue with a circular symbol on the chest, the academy emblem. Hikari unpacked and changed into his new uniform. He stood in front of the mirror, analyzing his new look. He realized that his hair had grown quite a lot, starting to cover his eyes. He grabbed the scissors and started cutting, having done the same many times in the past. After he was done, there was a vast difference. He styled his hair to be short around all sides except the top, allowing him to run his hand through his semi-short hair. His new look consisted of short brown hair with black piercing eyes, a hand resting on his hanging sword. His blue uniform fit well on him, complimenting his slim body. He quickly cleaned up and headed out, wanting to explore the academy.

He roamed the halls, admiring the clean walls and the many smiles. Hikari silently observed the students that passed him, mentally taking note of each and every one of them.

As he was minding his own business, a tall red-haired man approached Hikari. He was tall, nearly a foot taller than himself. He wore a plain white bandanna which unsuccessfully covered his giant tribal tattoos on his forehead. He carried his sword on his hip, the handle wrapped with a red criss-cross design. He also wore the academy uniform.

"Hello new student! My name is Abarai Renji! I'm a fifth year student here at Shin'o and I am a tour guide for the first few days. What's your name?"

His voice had no excitement which he tried covering with loudness, turning some heads to their direction. He extended his hand out, expecting a handshake in return. Hikari examined Abarai carefully, making sure not to miss any underlying true reasoning.

Hikari hesitantly replied, speaking for the first time in ages. "H-Hikari," and accepted the handshake, continuing to eye Abarai warily. Hikari's voice was rough for his age, effected from the prolonged time of staying silent and only grunting in combat. It made him sound a lot older than he actually was.

"We have many facilities which are opened to everyone. We have the cafeteria, multiple classrooms, and of course open areas where you can train or relax with friends. Is there anything else I can interest you in?" Abarai informed loudly, reciting straight through it as if it was read off a note card.

Hikari politely refused, losing interest in the red haired man. He must have been volunteered for this role but maybe he's better at fighting. He can help me improve... For now, I should get some training in before the opening ceremony. He thanked Abarai for his brief guidance and left the dorms, looking for a training area.

* * *

Maybe I should've asked that Abarai guy where I could find an empty area to train. After searching every nook and cranny for a place where no casualties could occur, Hikari finally found an empty lot to practice. Hikari went through the motion of his practice routine: his body flowing as if his limbs were attached to puppet strings, his arms following through with his sword, his legs smoothly gliding above the floor. Today, he didn't focus on his swings or strikes but rather the sword itself.

He focused but he didn't feel any change in his body nor sword.

Hikari was so deep in thought, it took him a few minutes before noticing that someone was watching him. He sheathed his sword and spoke to his watcher with courtesy.

"Hello Abarai-senpai. I presume you have something to tell me?"

Abarai looked with awe at Hikari, his jaw hanging slightly ajar. It took a second before Abarai came to his senses and replied "I do. The Introduction Ceremony is about to begin. You should hurry over before they start," Abarai lightheartedly chuckles, recovering from his initial shock.

"Thank you. I'll be heading there now. Until next time, Abarai-senpai," Hikari thanked, beginning to turn away from his training spot. Before he could get any further, he heard a rough voice which stopped him in place. Prove yourself to me. The hair on his arm stood as a chilling wave go over hi. He turned around, looking back questionably towards Abarai.

"Did you say something?"

"Um, no. I did not."

"Must have been my imagination..."

* * *

After a tiring three hour introduction ceremony, it ended with the dismissal of the students. Academy teachers sorted the students by class. His current class was the first year's combat class in the courtyard. Many of his classmates were mingling in separate groups, talking loudly and laughing joyfully. Hikari stood off to the side in the shadows, watching other students converse. Hikari continued to keep a zipped mouth, not trusting a single one of his classmates.

Eventually, the combat teacher entered the courtyard, quieting everyone down. He explained the general gist of the many techniques the students would learn through the year, offering to have an all-out spar with a volunteer to showcase those moves. Hikari raised his hand, volunteering to test his his own strength. Hikari walked to the front of the class, obtaining a bamboo sword, known as a shinai, from the weapon rack. Hikari immediately got into a fighting stance: legs shoulder width apart, right leg ahead of the left, both hands gripping the hilt, shoulders squared with his chest. Hikari's ambitious eyes reached his teacher's calm demeanor.

The teacher shuffled towards Hikari, mirroring his own stance. The teacher feigned an attack to the body but quickly raised his sword for an attack to the head. Hikari countered with an upward block, halting the teacher's attack and effectively surprising the teacher. Hikari took advantage of the teacher's moment of amazement as he strikes to the stomach, chest and head, moving so fluidly like the calm waves in the vast ocean. By the time he had finished his combination, the teacher was stuck in shock. The teacher's eyes widen as his legs shook and collapsed, staring at the tip of Hikari's shinai. Hikari withdrew his weapon and offered a hand to the teacher.

"Thank you for the opportunity teacher." Hikari's eyes shined humbly, revealing a respectful smile on his lips. The teacher gracefully took his hand in defeat, knowing very well that Hikari is more than capable of doing more damage. Hikari turned to his classmates and saw their shocked faces. Mutters could be heard from corner to corner, spreading rumors rapidly. Hikari returned his shinai to the weapon rack and walked back to his desk. I'm not totally ignorant. I know my strength and I wish to become stronger. These children need to grow up. When he reached his seat, he put his head down and closed his eyes. He could hear the teacher recovering and starting his first lesson, along with all the whispers. It didn't bother him. Not really.

* * *

During break, Hikari roamed the halls in search of how he could switch out of his current combat class and into a more advance one. He walked through the pale, homogeneous halls, turning left and right until he finally found a door labeled "Headmaster". He moved towards the handle, but heard several voices already inside. He recognized the voice belonging to his teacher's and the Headmaster's. He believed it was impolite to interrupt a conversation and eavesdrop so he left, returning a few minutes later. He entered the Headmaster's office, greeting the older man with respect.

"Headmaster-san, I would like to request a more advanced combat class. I have many years of experi-"

"Oh, you just saved me the trouble Hikari-san. Yes, I have already had a discussion with your teacher and I have decided to move you up to the third year's combat class until further notice. Go ahead and go meet your new combat class teacher. You are dismissed," Headmaster interrupted, filling Hikari with relief.

"Thank you Headmaster-san. I will prove to you my worth." Hikari bowed, slightly surprised at the two year jump.

* * *

Hikari walked into his third year's combat class, all the students being bigger and more experienced from his last class for obvious reasons. He was introduced to the class, greeted with distaste from the older students. After the introduction, the class paired up with shinais and began sparring.

Hikari was the last to pick up a shinai and came to realize that it was broken from the middle of the blade. He tried swinging the weapon carefully but unfortunately, it didn't hold together and ended up breaking from a single swing. Hikari was too focused on finding a solution that he didn't notice the sun suddenly being blocked.

SMACK

Hikari was suddenly on the floor, clutching his cheek from the stinging sensation. He ferociously looked at his attackers from the corner of his eye, seeing them to be a group of five older boys from his new class.

"What's wrong baby? You can't take the punches? You don't deserve to be here!" One of the boys exclaimed.

I guess they haven't heard what I had done against a teacher. Might as well test my limits here. Hikari stood up from his crouched position, holding his hands in front of him in a fighting stance. He stood straight up, brought his hands up to block both sides of his head, squared his shoulders into his chest, swept his left leg forward, and pulled his head downwards, a glint glancing off his cold black eyes.

"Oh look at this! He wants to fight back. You can't fight against all of us who have the height, weight, and weapon advantage!" The group laughed loudly, starting to attract a large group of people.

"..let's see about that," Hikari whispered, jetting out forward with immense speed. He was able to launch his palm into a bully's chin, effectively stunning him. The other bullies were awestruck at his speed, but quickly regained focus and swung their swords at him, attacking all at once.

Hikari jumped with such strength, almost hovering in the air for a second, before coming back down and snapping two shinais with his heel. He started moving in, delivering rough punches to the chest and finished with a straight punch to the temple, knocking out a bully. One down. He heard a yell from behind him and reflexively brought his back leg up, landing a sinking kick right into the gut of the attacker, causing his eyes to bulge out uncharacteristically. Two down. He received a whack from behind, cursing silently for dropping his guard again. He charged with jaw-dropping speed, punching him in the face with all his might. The punch incited a reassuring crack, dropping the bully like a sack of potatoes. Three down. He faced his fourth opponent holding a shinai, extending out from a more traditional kendo stance. Finally they started to smarten up. I was wondering when I would get a challenge. They stared in standoff, analyzing each other thoroughly, before Hikari burst forward with speed. Hikari on the offense, tried to break the defense of his opponent but only received harsh whacks in retaliation. After several minutes of constant aggression, Hikari stopped his offense, breathing harshly, being left with multiple purple bruises. Where is the teacher? Aren't they going to stop this? …or.. is this a way for me to be evaluated? The Headmaster is cruel. But I should give it my all. I'll give him a show.

Hikari closed his eyes and took a deep breath in, relaying air to his lungs. When he opened his eyes, he realized his opponent took advantage and leaped in, going on the offense. Hikari blocked a head strike with his forearm, slightly crumpling under the strength behind it. He rotated his wrist and grabbed the shinai, pulling it, along with its wielder, towards himself. He shoved his foot in front of incoming body's ankles and swept his leg forwards while his hands continuously pulled the opposite direction, unbalancing the bully and caused him to fall. Hikari followed up with a final elbow to the temple, knocking him unconscious. Four down. Suddenly, he was whacked again on the legs, effectively crushing his legs, sweeping him to the floor. Hikari looked up at his last opponent, staring cockily at the downed child.

"You may have taken out my lackeys, but you won't get me again freak."

Hikari was tired from fighting without his weapon but knew he had to deal with one last bully. He looked up from the ground, seeing the sun outlining his last attacker. His head pulsed from all the harsh whacks, his body crying out from exhaustion, his arms feeling like they're about to fall off. Not yet. If I was back in my old district, I would've died. I can't- NO, I WON'T let this happen!

Hikari sprinted with the last bit of energy, jumping and grabbing hold of the bully's shirt and surprising him by his final burst of energy.

"You wouldn't stand a chance!" Hikari growled with terrifying eyes and headbutted the last one, breaking skin. His teeth rattled against his skull, his eyes threatening to close. His forehead stung of the contact, dripping down blood from the broken skin.

They both fell to the ground, one unconscious, the other barely conscious. Hikari rolled off of the bully, feeling as if gravity increased ten-fold on his tired and aching limbs. I better get a higher combat class if I could defeat these clowns with only my hands.

He heard a few words in the air, strangely seeming similar to his name. He blinked, noticing the darkness crawling into his vision. He turned his head to the side, seeing familiar crimson hair before letting darkness take over him.


	3. Meeting new people can be a pain

**Author's notes: Thank you all for reading my story so far! Also thank you to Nikole15402 for the review! **

**Quick notes: I'm still not fully sure of a concrete style of writing but I'm getting into a flow while writing this story. Also, this is my first serious story which I focused on my grammar and flow so there will be a lot of room for improvement. In terms of updating, I'm currently busy with many things but I have set a goal for myself to update between two to four weeks. If I get a bit motivated and write a lot one week, I might update weekly. With that in conclusion, I hope you enjoy this chapter! Thank you for reading!**

* * *

Hikari slowly opened his eyes, light creeping into his sight. His body felt as if an elephant was atop of him, adding more strain to his exhausted body. His vision cleared up, eyes adjusting to the bright change. Hikari looked around, extremely confused at his current location. He awoke in the only beam of light which was surrounded by silent darkness. The beam came from above, never leading back to its source. His head pulsed slightly, causing him to shake his head and groan. He watched the once stagnant surroundings slowly move like ripples in the ocean, disturbing the peace. It was so strange, the darkness moving, swerving left and right before it stopped. The ripples continued to surround two points where red eyes popped out from the center, staring at him menacingly. The eyes were almost animalistic: pure one color with no visible pupil, slanting downwards towards the middle, showing obvious disappointment of a parent. A heavy, raspy male voice penetrated silence, scaring Hikari.

"...You could've easily beat them," The voice said with disgust, echoing all around. Hikari was scared and confused about his current situation. His heart beats grew louder, beating against his temple. He drew a deep breath before controlling his heart and mind, replying with as much calmness as he could gather.

"I..I laid my skills out on the field. I fought until I passed out. What more could I do at the present moment?" Hikari replied, shooting back a glare towards the floating eyes.

"Your best was not present! You claim to fight with your skills yet all you did was fight with pride and cockiness! You should've pulled your sword out. Ended it without breaking a sweat. Slice their tongues to refrain them from spilling ill rumors!" The voice yelled harshly.

"...I may have been cocky but no harm must come to innocent children. They may have pushed me around but they were simple bullies. Bullies are not worth all my anger and skill, let alone death. I will earn my power through compassion, not fear," Hikari said, trying to fight against the continuous pounding in his head.

The voice said no more, becoming strangely quiet. The piercing eyes hovered in the air for a bit, seemingly examining him before closing permanently, calming the ripples in the darkness.

The whole event served to confuse Hikari but the pulses came in stronger than before. As the pulses increased in pressure, it brought black spots in sight, eventually knocking him unconscious.

* * *

Hikari opened his eyes for the second time, adjusting them to the light once more. Thankfully, he woke up in a hospital bed. He examined his surroundings: a simple room with a doctor's chart opposite of his bed, IV pole connected to his arm, an empty chair besides the bed, and a food cart opposite of the chair. With the food cart in sight, a loud growl came from his stomach. When he reached over to the cart, the door opened and a lady with black braided hair entered the room. She wore a white jacket, or haori, over her black shihakusho.

She grabbed the doctor's chart, reading through the summary of his condition. Hikari caught her quickly glancing at him in between her readings. She returned the chart back to its spot and walked towards the bed, parking herself in front of Hikari's bed.

"Hello there Hikari-san. My name is Unohana Retsu, the Captain of Fourth Division in the Gotei 13. As you can see, we are the medical center or hospital. You were admitted about twenty hours ago and diagnosed with fatigue. I assure you, you have been treated with the proper medicine, well on the way to a healthy recovery. Your body reacted amazingly to the medicine, recovering fast for your age. Though recovering fast, it will take several days until your body gets back to full mobility. You must have quite the strength and experience, being able to take on five third year students without a weapon," She said with a soft voice, almost guiding him back to sleep.

Hikari awkwardly blinked a few times to 'wake himself up', nodding in acknowledgement of her statement. Once he found his voice, he steadily responded.

"Thank you Unohana-taicho. I wish to help as many innocents as possible, even if I must start with the academy. In my defense, taking care of those students should teach them to never pick on others. Though, how are they?" Hikari shyly replied.

Unohana's lips twitched, slightly raising at the ends.

"Physically, they are fine, walking away with slight concussions and bruises. In terms of the academy, those students will be dealt with accordingly," She said, bringing a small smile to Hikari's face.

"Unohana-taicho… Do you happen to know what combat class I am in?" He asked. His eyes were filled with determination, hoping for his own advancement.

"I do. You have been moved once more to the fifth year's combat class. The Headmaster was very impressed and gives his apologies," Unohana delivered, earning a shocked look from Hikari. It was quite obvious she omitted 'for not stopping fight'. However, he didn't act any differently, understanding the Headmaster's position.

"Whoa… Thank you Unohana-taicho." Hikari bowed to the best of his ability, straining his neck in a mini bow.

"I will return back later, okay?"

Hikari nodded in understanding and started to experiment with his wounded body.

* * *

Hikari walked out of the building, shielding his eyes from the radiant sun. He raised his arms towards sky, feeling his back pop back into place. He had finally been cleared to leave after a week of no practice. The sun was shining brightly in his face, taking its position directly above him. Many people were walking by, minding their own business. Hikari felt good. Now he just needs to get back in shape.

Hikari started his way to his training area that he found, watching his surroundings on the way there. He noticed very few academy students roaming around, realizing that he was released during class time. _Well, I'm outside already. No reason to go back to my dorm._ Hikari turned the last corner but unfortunately, there was a combat class there, all older than Hikari. He stood in the shadows, watching them spar in partners. He recognized the red haired man, Abarai Renji, practicing a lot harder than the others, sweating profusely while switching between two attackers. Hikari wished to have that kind of challenge. He turned around again, about to look for another place to practice when he heard his name get called out.

"Yo, Hikari! Over here! Trying to skip class?" Loudmouth Abarai yelled, gaining everyone's attention. He had just taken a break, resting his shinai on his shoulder.

Hikari cringed, knowing he couldn't slip out of this. He faced Abarai and replied politely.

"Ah, I just recovered from my fight and wasn't sure where my new class is."

"What class are you supposed to have?"

"Fifth year's combat class. Can you point me to the right direction?"

Abarai scoffed in amusement, bringing his shinai down from his shoulder.

"You walked right into it. Come and join the training." He waved over to Hikari, inviting him to jump in the spar.

Hikari graciously accepted the invitation, taking up a shinai and joining the small group. _I hope I don't have any trouble in this class._

* * *

Hikari's arms shook with tense muscles, trying to hold up against a strike from Abarai. His arms finally dropped, breaking his defense and allowing for Abarai to take the win.

Hikari sat on the ground, panting from exhaustion. Abarai withdrew his shinai and offered a hand. Hikari took a brief breather before accepting it. This had only been an average duel. With Hikari being 4 years ahead of his own class year, he finally had trouble. The fifth year students weren't only strong and smart but they all had the speed and more experience in fighting. They weren't idly swinging their swords but rather slicing specific point which would most effectively cut down their opponent. Aside from the fighting aspect, the fifth year students had treated Hikari nicely since they heard about his actions, making it very clear that he isn't one to be messed with. His reputation made sure that no one got on his bad side, prompting many fifth years to be friendly with every encounter. He did catch on that the other students didn't like him but it didn't affect him much as they didn't act upon their dislike. He didn't have to like the whole situation but he knew the class was improving his skills.

After their duel, Hikari and Abarai walked over to a nearby tree, offering shade, coolness, and a place to relax. The air stayed silent as Hikari watched the others, focusing on their techniques, remembering them for his own battles.

"...So how do you like it here in the fifth year's class?"

"It's better. More challenge," Hikari grunted with approval.

"How did you get so strong? I hardly know any underclassmen, let alone a first year, who had experience with kenjutsu AND had their own sword in hand," Abarai questioned, genuinely interested in his answer.

"You learn to fight for your life when it's the only choice."

Hikari eyed Abarai from his peripherals, watching the red head wipe his head dry of sweat.

_He may not be that bad… I may have been mistaken to suspect him of anything._

Hikari stood up, this time, being the one offering his hand.

"Let's go Abarai-senpai."

* * *

Usually when sparring, Hikari chose Abarai. Abarai was a challenging opponent and a mentor, often giving tips to help him out. He was also the "strongest in the class", so obviously, Hikari had to test his skills. Their first duel was almost even but Abarai pulled ahead at the end, gaining the win.

After their first duel, they would seem to always hang out. Though at first, Abarai was tagging along with Hikari. They 'hung out' together and sparred together, sparking some kind of conversation. Abarai tried many times to break Hikari's shell. Hikari, on the other hand, stayed quiet but slowly opened up, little by little. Abarai's goofiness was pretty hard to resist.

* * *

**Instance #1:**

"Hey Hikari!"

"Good morning Abarai-senpai."

"What's with the formal reply? We are all students and you are almost my equal."

"It's only respectful to do so. And the fact that you are older than me."

"Hmm… I guess so. But we are equal in skills and we are friends!"

"..okay then. Abarai-senpai."

"Alright! We have an agreement? … Hey! Where are you going?"

**Instance #13:**

"Morning Hikari!"

"Good morning to you as well Abarai-san."

"Come on man, I told you you can call me by my given name. Renji is fine."

"My apologies, Renji-san."

"Come on! Loosen up! Shake those arms! Watch, follow me! One, two three! And circles!"

"..pf~"

"Whoa! Is that a smile I see? The first I've ever seen on your face? It's a damn miracle."

"Hai hai, Renji-san. Let's head to class or else we'll risk being late."

"Oh yeah! Wait for me!"

**Instance #31:**

"Good morning Renji-san."

"Good mo- Hey! You greeted first this time!"

"...I've grown comfortable. Don't let it get to your big head."

"And your first joke? I must be that good."

"Rather, you just grow like on people like mosquitoes."

"That ain't cool!"

**Instance #48:**

"So, do you have any girls you like?"

"Does it look like I have the time to watch girls?"

"Well, you can't say that your eyes haven't wandered at some point."

"Honestly, nope. I haven't seen any girls that interest me. What about you?"

"Umm.. Well.. I do. But you don't know her. She should be coming sometime this month because she often visits."

"I can't wait to meet her then. We might be able to share some stupid stories about you."

"Hey! Don't be a jackass man! …Where are you going now? Get back here!"

* * *

Hikari's daily life had flew by him in quick repetition. The first few weeks in his new class was tough, always breaking off into spars against the upperclassmen. He quickly fused into the class, learning all the techniques that were taught to the fifth years. Most of the time, he hung out with Renji, proving to be a good friend. Though unluckily, Renji's crush wasn't able to come by because of her division work.

Hikari trained hard, eventually able to stand up to Renji in an almost-even duel. He had the opportunity to see a zanpakuto's second form, or shikai. With the increased strength and power, Hikari had so much trouble winning his duels, earning himself cuts and bruises when he wasn't careful.

Through his advanced class, he gained the opportunity to take class trips to the human world, learning how to properly fight against hollows. It was a new experience, seeing the new technology and the relatively peaceful people. They were usually accompanied by a seated shinigami from a division, offering protection if the event ever occurred. He was able to learn from the experienced shinigami, learning of different ways how to fight and deal with the hollows.

At times, the class adventures would take a turn and witness a fight against a hollow which struck all the students with awe. Luckily, no one had succumbed to the hollows.

But during one of the class trips, a large group of hollows attacked the class, pulling every student into combat...

* * *

**Renji's POV:**

Renji drew his sword, glinting in the sun. It was a rectangular bronze tsuba with a jagged design; the handle and sheath decorated in red. His knuckles turned white, gripping the handle tightly. He didn't have a single second to take his thoughts away from his fight.

There were multiple hollows surrounding him, hungrily wanting to chunk of Renji's reiatsu. He had released a lot of spirit in order to save a whole park of humans and other students who couldn't fight off multiple enemies. They all charged in, prompting him to dodge their hits. He tried to slice into them but he couldn't cut through their armor, giving them small scratches.

His face scrunched in disapproval and headed away from the hollows, dragging them to a huger area. When he was far enough, he focused his reiatsu and slid his hand against the side of his blade.

"Howl, Zabimaru!"

The transformation sucked in immense heat, creating heavy haze. The sword grew in size, changing the whole blade. The shikai developed into a longer 6-part segmented blade, each part having teeth protruding outwards. The blade parts and teeth grew bigger towards the tip.

The hollows finally caught up to Renji, looking upon his new form. With his shikai, he was easily able to slice through the crowd of hollows. His sword separated from the joints, lengthening and decapitating many limbs all at once. He finally could deal damage to them. He continued mowing them down, defeating many on his own. Unfortunately, he bit more than he could chew. As he was attacking, a hollow was able to get a lucky shot and make contact, slicing into his arm. He fell and clutched his arm, still surrounded with the last 10 or so hollows. The remaining hollows screeched loudly before the final attack. He weakly raised his arms up in an unlikely attempt to block the multiple hits when Hikari showed up, appearing from nowhere, slipping through several hollows.

**Hikari's POV:**

"Finally you decided to show up! Damn glory hog!" Renji joked around, albeit being tired.

"Not even Renji-san! You know I had to fight my own little horde of hollows. We all did!" Hikari argued happily. He wore a rare smile, which only showed up during a tough fight. An explosion went off in the surrounding area, proving that others were still fighting.

Hikari jumped into the fight, slicing the hollows little by little, increasing his damage by attacking vital areas repetitively, cutting deeper and deeper. His power almost equaled Renji's but his style of fighting gave him a upper hand. His slice-and-go strategy pushed more power into accurate strikes, allowing for even the toughest armor to crack under the multiple harsh attacks. With the quick slices, his strategy relied on speed, and speed he did increase.

The hollow numbers decreased little by little, until none were left.

Hikari sheathed his sword, sighing in relief that it was all done. He wiped the sweat dripping down his face and turned towards Renji who finally caught his breath.

"You could've left some for me, Hikari-san. I wanted to have some more fun!" Renji huffed, finally regaining his energy. He approached Hikari but slightly winced, grabbing his arm.

Hikari lightly shook his head in humor and approached Renji. Hikari crosses his arms at his chest, looking disappointed at his friend.

"Let the medic check your wound. We both know you're a hard-ass, never asking for help."

Renji reluctantly revealed his cut arm, dripping blood from the gash to the tip of his fingers. He sighed, nodding his head, knowing what to do. He walked off towards the class, all surrounding the medic.

Hikari looked off into the opposite direction, noticing a slight change in reiatsu. It was strong, no doubt. It was almost blending in with the stronger ones of the class, but it was a bit brighter than the rest. He took off in that direction, wanting to know who this fighter could be.

He rounded the corner, approaching what seemed to be the source of this strength. He saw a short girl facing the other way, stomping on the ground while holding a sword. The girl had short blond hair which were held in two spiky pigtails, a red jogging suit, and yellow sandals. Her sword was detailed with the usual red criss-cross design. She was yelling quite the profanity storm, saying something about break time and crappy hollows. She suddenly stopped stomping, standing still in the middle of the field. Hikari stood in the shadows, wondering if she had noticed him.

Suddenly, she disappeared from his sight, causing his heartbeat to increase. A sword popped into vision, blade positioned towards his neck.

Hikari immediately moved away from the attacker, getting a better look at her. She wore a red jogging suit with a white shirt underneath, the former being detailed with white stripes from the shoulders and kanji on the left side. She had her bangs clipped out of her eyesight with three clips. She had small groups of freckles underneath her tired eyes. Her eyebrows were thin, bulking up more towards the center of her face. They already were facing inwards, displaying anger even though Hikari hadn't done anything.

"Oi, you're just a baby shinigami! God, this just adds more trouble!" The girl said in a boyish voice, barely reaching a high pitch.

"Who are you? Why don't you have a uniform?" Hikari questioned, pulling his own sword out.

"It doesn't matter who I am! You're stepping out of your league here, kid! Leave whi-" Hikari interrupted her, quickly flash stepping, or shunpo-ing, next to her, elbowing her in the stomach, knocking her off her feet.

"Number one rule: never underestimate your opponents. Fight like it's a fight for your life!" Hikari declared.

She got off the floor, wiping the mucus from her mouth. Her eyebrows sloped inwards even more, getting very irritated.

"You're as annoying as the others." She looked down and opened her phone, receiving some kind of notice. "Ughhh, stupid baldy…" She turned back and pointed her finger at him.

"Don't flatter yourself! You are lucky I have to go right now. I won't hesitate to smash you next time!" She sheathed her sword and strapped it to her shoulder. She quickly dashed away, disappearing once more.

Hikari hastily put his sword away and followed her, barely catching up. He chased her around for a few minutes before he got tired of this nonsensical chase. He strained his legs to match her speed but he just couldn't catch up to her. She seemed to speed up every time he did, always keeping a certain distance between them.

He grew frustrated but understood that he couldn't catch up to her. At the very least, he could watch where she goes. He followed her at a farther distance, watching her go through alleyways and above buildings. She suddenly stopped, turning abruptly towards him. She disappeared faster than he had ever seen before he felt a sharp pain on the back of his neck and darkness filled his vision.


	4. The Event of the Decade

**A/N: Thank you all for returning back for another chapter! Sorry about the long gap in updating. I've hit a roadblock and have to work really hard on this project! It will be clear by a month or two (hopefully). Thank you for your patience. **

**Langas:** I wanted Renji to be a friend/buddy of Hikari's, trying to build their friendship strong. I'm glad their new friendship got through.

**Quick note for all chapters: I didn't clarify it earlier because I didn't think I had to but here are the dialogue options.**

"Hello!" - speaking

_Goodness! I'm this smart? _\- thoughts

"Howl, Zabimaru!" **-** headers, attack moves, and zanpakutos

**And just because I'm paranoid (even though I did list it in the summary), I do not own Bleach. Bleach is owned by those who wrote the story, not me. I'm merely using its structure and some of its characters. Though the OCs are mine. **

**Enjoy!**

* * *

"Back here again? What is this place? Is this my mind?"

Once again, Hikari found himself back in the single beam of light. It was almost a mystery why this occurred. In the past few months, Hikari had several moments where he could hear a voice, replying stupidly out loud, realizing no one else heard it. He tried conversing with it but it never responded after its first string of words. It had said mean things, although sometimes, it complimented him. He knew that he couldn't succumb to the darkness which the voice always talked about. So far, the only time Hikari could look forward to it responding to him was if they were in the dark room again. Even after multiple attempts of meditation, he couldn't seem to drift back into this space. Yet somehow, Hikari made it back in here with almost no effort on his side. _It must only occur when I'm knocked out. Annoying trigger… _

The obscurity around him was moving again, ripples in mid air, mirroring the same actions as before. The blood red eyes opened up, finally conversing with Hikari.

"You are very observant, Hikari. And yes, this is your mind. It's awfully quiet in here but it does fit my style." The red eyes waved around, almost as if he was looking around the room.

"Why won't you put full effort off the beginning? Why didn't you just strike her when she withdrew her sword?" The voice harshly cracked, invoking anger in Hikari.

"I said earlier, no innocents! She had just fought off a group of hollows and got out without any cuts. There is no current order, to my knowledge, of bringing her in. I don't even know if she's under a different branch of the Soul Society. Another reason being that she didn't attack me. Why are you suddenly popping up? In the past, I ask for you to reply but you never respond. If you are in my mind, what gives you a right to question my actions? Who even are you?" Hikari bit back, scowling back at the red eyes.

The eyes bounced in midair, chuckles filling the dead air around him. Settling back to its stable float in midair, it spoke again.

"I am your second half. The enigma is me. I am your spirit whom you may call Kuro," he revealed, shocking Hikari. Hikari has heard of these spirits but honestly didn't expect his spirit to come out so early.

_My spirit? The feeling of attachment? My sword spir- a zanpakuto? My partner? _

"Yes to all. You picked me from the group of katanas. We are spiritually connected, bound by fate. At first, I was testing you before laying my trust in you. I questioned your power, but you never let go of your true goal while pushing for pure strength. I applaud your strength Hikari. You have earned my respect," Kuro said, eyes increasing in size. It took Hikari a few seconds before noticing the eyes weren't getting bigger, but rather he was coming closer, shapes spilling into the light. A disfigured shape entered the light, revealing himself fully.

A giant thin rat appeared, standing at six foot tall on his hind legs. True to his name, his eyes were pure space black, unlike the red glow they gave within the darkness. They cried black goo down his face, oozing over a large light brown scar. The scar marred the rat's face, starting from the right top side down to the bottom left side. His brown snout was a mix between decaying flesh, rusted bones, and more of the black substance. His face held the tears of humans, but the terrifying decomposing face of a rat. His body was lined with browning bone daggers and egg shaped lumps. His hind legs were more dark goo, but formed various human skulls, overlaying each other to cover the missing holes from the peculiar shape of the skull. His claws were made from various iron plague masks, long curved beaks with sharp tips. They constantly shined in Hikari's face, glinting off the sharp blades. The stench of the rotten rat hit Hikari like a billion needles, immediately pinching his nose to get rid of the smell. It didn't only smell bad, but felt like it was melting his skin. A chill ran through his body, accenting the needle-like pain his skin was exposed to. Hikari raised his eyes to meet the dark emptiness, barely being held up by his shaking legs.

"You have my respect as my wielder. Draw some of my power and learn it. You can do it. You may get hit but you will strike back with triple the force." Kuro raised his claw and dragged it across his left arm, forming an 'X'.

Before leaving, Kuro hesitated, holding his ground. "Beware of the shadows..." He said ominously. Hikari was still in brief shock, but was able to keep a small note of the warnings in his head.

Kuro backed into the darkness, his eyes returning back to its red state. Hikari's eyelids slowly dropped, covering his sight. The next time he opened them, he was back in the human world, staring up at the starry sky.

* * *

He immediately shot up from his lying position, shaking his head from the rude awakening. His sight blurred and his hearing was muffled, putting more stress on his head. After a few minutes of clearing his senses, he noticed that several hours passed, maybe three. The sun had set, darkening the streets.

Hikari sighed in disappointment, willingly splitting from his group and getting lost in a place he didn't know.

He looked around, sensing if any shinigami were in the immediate area around him. Unfortunately, no one could be sensed, leaving him lost in the human world. All he had on him was his clothing and his zanpakuto.

He ran around looking for any shelter, knowing there should be a rescue group sometime.

He finally settled under a tree in a big park where he had a good lookout on a green field. He laid against the tree, keeping an eye out for anybody and anything. He constantly checked his surroundings for any reiatsu, though he wasn't as accurate or defining as others who had more training.

It wasn't until the sun started rising did he feel a reiatsu spike somewhere far away. It was a gamble but Hikari flared his power, hoping this shinigami could find him. Unfortunately, a hollow also was attracted to it, appearing from across the field.

The hollow stood on all fours, body colored a dark blue, sharp claws, and its mask detailed with red and yellow flames and two horns on the top. The mask was big and wide, matching the hollow's body size. It screeched before running towards Hikari, closing the gap in no time.

Hikari dodged to the best of his ability but his speed wasn't enough. He was cut at his hip, taking a piece of his flesh with its claws. Hikari staggered, the blood and energy draining from his new wound. His sight began to waver, giving him double vision. He gripped his wound, hoping to somehow hold his blood in.

He drew his sword, hoping to conduct one last hit to save himself.

**Huff...**

His mind was slowly becoming unconscious, his eyes fluttering, threatening to drop shut again.

**Hhhhnn...**

He mumbled an incoherent phrase, gathering his reiatsu. He felt the weight of his sword become lighter and his power more immense than ever. His left arm burned for some reason. But he ignored it all and paid attention to the problem in front of him.

**Uraghhh!**

Yelling his strength, he held his sword, preparing for his last strike.

The hollow screeched while charging in. Hikari crouched in a small stance with his sword positioned point first towards the hollow before shooting off, his strength halting the hollow's menacing aura and speed, pushing him back. Hikari fully extended his arm forward, for sure striking and piercing his opponent before falling to the ground. His energy rapidly depleted from his attack, reaching nearly empty but luckily, his rescue squad had arrived.

* * *

It turned out that it wasn't only one shinigami but rather a two-man squad. It consisted of one lieutenant and one captain, holding high regards for this 'mission'. Though it turned out that their mission was to extract Hikari from the Human World, Hikari was quite surprised a captain had come to rescue him.

From his perspective, the captain was very traditional, speaking sparsely while making sure everything was done correctly and methodically. His hair reached to the middle of his back; his front detailed with three separated bangs. He had straight gray eyes with prestigious white hair clips, sorting his royal blood out from the 'commoners'. His name is Kuchiki Byakuya, the Captain of the Sixth Division.

The lieutenant is extremely thin and tall, barely opening his eyes which were pretty much slits. He had semi-long silver hair, reaching past his eyes but barely longer than his neck. He seemed to be the opposite of the captain: talkative, comedic, and hellish as well. His name is Ichimaru Gin, the lieutenant of the Fifth Division.

"Yo! How ya doing squirt?" Ichimaru said with an ever present teasing voice.

"I'm okay now that you are here. Thank you both."

"You're welcome Hikari-san. We must head back to the Soul Society as soon as possible. Once you have recovered enough energy, let us be on our way," Captain Kuchiki informed, very formal in his response.

Hikari nodded, understanding that a captain and lieutenant can't be idly spending time in the Human World when there is work needed to be done.

As he took a brief breather, Ichimaru decided to strike up a conversation.

"So, ya got a pretty interesting shikai. Sharp and refined, nice to poke with. How'd ya learn it?"

Hikari stares at him in slight shock, trying to recall if he did activate his shikai earlier. He was phasing in and out of consciousness and he didn't really notice anything different...except the sudden weight change of his zanpakutō. _I guess I did unconsciously activate it as a last resort. _

Shaking out of his thoughts, he finally replied to Ichimaru.

"Oh, I don't remember learning it. I guess it came to me naturally." Hikari chuckled, clearly over his near death experience. He kept quiet afterwards, ignoring much of Ichimaru's pestering.

Soon after, he nodded to Captain Kuchiki in confirmation of his recovery, and they started on their way back to the academy.

* * *

They had returned back around midnight in the Soul Society, earning a long yawn from Hikari. His previous day was all spent staying awake and waiting for his retrieval, adding heavy weights to his eyelids. Hikari trudged back to his dorm, dragging his feet against the cold concrete floor. He felt a slight movement of reiatsu behind him, causing him to stop abruptly. He stood there waiting for the person or thing to come out but alas, nothing jumped at him. He continued walking back to his dorm but felt the same movement again, confirming his suspicions.

Hikari shook his head, trying to rid of this awful feeling. He looked up, peacefully looking at the pale moon, relaxing in the silence of the night. The moon positioned directly above him, reflecting across the many ponds. The empty air left to the dead, hearing the occasional crackle of ember from the lonesome torches. The wind blew ever so slightly, giving him goosebumps amongst his vulnerable skin while howling against the empty walls of the academy. It made him shiver and wrap his arms around his body. He continued his way back to his dorm, never looking back.

* * *

After Renji had sobbed over his "found" friend, he proclaimed they both needed to improve their own strength and abilities. In preparation, Hikari and Renji always trained together, pushing each other in class lessons and advancing their abilities. In addition, they would planned a monthly training session where they go all out. They would never hold back, always ending up in the Fourth Division to heal their battle wounds. Somehow, news got out of their all-out training matches and they developed an audience watching in awe, cheering for their favorite, or betting on who would win.

During one such event, Hikari achieved his shikai activation (while staying conscious).

* * *

They had been at it for the past several minutes, already striking ferociously against one another. They had exhausted the techniques learned from class and had to resort to their own techniques. For Hikari, it was his techniques which he learned from the 70th District. For Renji, he used his shikai. Renji's power grew stronger, pushing Hikari past his limits. With every cut Hikari gave, Renji repaid him three fold. Hikari felt himself getting weaker and weaker, losing the battle as usual.

They were both at a standoff, staring at each other, heavily breathing to catch their breath. In the past, Hikari was able to get several good hits on Renji even with his shikai but now, Hikari couldn't find a way to pierce through his defense. The extended parts of Renji's shikai covered both offense and defense, stopping Hikari at most of his attempts. Hikari stood with one knee on the ground, pushing his weight on his sword which was shoved into the ground. Hikari's shihakusho was ripped harshly in many places, revealing torn skin. Renji however was looking pretty good. While only injured with cut on his arms, he stood confidently as Hikari took his breather.

"Is this going to be like last time? You must have something up your sleeve. C'mon, are you even playing all your cards? Go all out!" Renji taunted, receiving a cheer from the audience.

_Pull on my power. Call me out. _A voice said in Hikari's head, popping one word to be said. His left arm started to ache, glowing slightly, forming an 'X'.

Hikari rose, pulling his sword out of the ground. He caught Renji's sight, locking it in place. Hikari delivered the meanest look he had at Renji: face becoming relaxed, his head slightly tilted downwards, his eyes showing no remorse, his pupils glinting in half moons. Renji felt the menacing look, body shaking in excitement. Hikari raised his sword to eye level and pointed at Renji.

"Sharpen, Kuro," Hikari whispered.

**Renji's POV:**

Hikari's zanpakuto burned in bright light, increasing the amount of reiatsu being emitted. Renji stared in awe (alongside the audience) as the transformation continued. _I hadn't realized he achieved shikai in such a short time… It's barely been over half a year that he's been attending the academy. _The transformation created smoke in the area, confusing everyone what was happening.

Renji looked around in the cloud, not sure where Hikari would attack. Renji tried feeling Hikari's reiatsu but it seemed to be all over the place, not pinpointing a single location. The smoke was blocking his vision, barely seeing past his sword. Renji raised his sword up, ready to block any attack.

Renji heard silent murmurs of the audience, all in wonder of what Hikari's shikai looks like and what it could do.

Before he knew it, a thin cut appeared on his cheek, then his arm, then his leg. All of a sudden, a bunch of cuts opened up on Renji, bringing him down in seconds. They weren't as deep as Renji's hits but they all hit vital points, cutting his muscles and veins, creating an opening for his blood to flow smoothly out of his body.

_I couldn't even see him, let alone isolate his power! What speed and power…_ Renji got back up defiance and swung his sword around, clearing the smoke once and for all.

What was revealed was Hikari standing straight up confidently with his sword by his side, taking a different form than a katana. His sword thinned out and formed a strong sabre, not flimsy but strong to slice and pierce. The shikai was sharp on both sides and extremely sharp at the point. It was just as large as his index finger, definitely knowing that his shikai relies on speed and accuracy with the thin and small frame.

Renji silently scoffed in place, knowing that he could easily be beaten against Hikari's shikai. _One last attack. Speed versus strength. I can afford one attack before he defeats me in submission._

Renji yelled and dashed forward, putting full power into his last swing. He raised his arm up, muscles bulging, face tense, lengthening his sword to full stretch, slicing downwards on Hikari.

At the last second, Hikari fizzed into thin air, making Renji's attack go wide. He knew where the attack would land but it was too late. Hikari was behind him with his sword positioned crossing his neck, drawing a small bit of blood, putting an end to the fight.

Renji sighed in defeat. He raised his hands in acknowledgement of his loss and sheathing his sword, reverting it back to its sealed state, or katana form.

"You win Hikari."

**Hikari's POV:**

Hikari was in a daze. He had pulled all his power into his sword and partner, transforming his sword alongside the activation word. It was slender and smooth, glinting brightly in the sun. He brought his sword to the sky, watching the blade shine brightly as he rotated it. It certainly was slim but it was sturdy and didn't bend easily. Because of its form, logic says it must take on speed quite nicely. Especially with his style of fighting from the shadows, a quick slash-and-dash seems very efficient. He brought his sword back down and deactivated his shikai, reverting back to his normal katana. The burning feeling in his arm cooled down, reminding him of his little 'scar'. He slid the sword back into its scabbard, then helped his friend up, giving him a warm smile.

"Thank you Renji-san. That was well fought. I'm glad I was able to achieve shikai. It feels so great since it has been bothering me ever since that Human World event," Hikari laughed, feeling so much better after the fight. Minus the injuries.

With that laugh, everyone in the audience abruptly cheered loudly, amazed at what the first year had achieved the short time span.

Money was exchanged, the winning party cheered loudly while the losing party was still in shock at the turn of events.

Hikari laughed at what happened, knowing very well he will be wanted by several divisions for already unlocking his shikai.

* * *

Hikari was right. Trailing just weeks after that battle, the word quickly spread about the prodigy first year who had unlocked his shikai. Many higher-ups from the Gotei 13 approached him, offering him a position in their division. Hikari was thankful for all the offers, but decided to not make a decision until after he graduated from the academy.

Through his busy schedule of fighting, his daily life consisted of the same things: classes, practice, spar, sleep, then repeat. He was improving, getting the hang of kido and studying a lot of it to hopefully jump a few years in the kido class. He occasionally had a class trip to the Human World, staking out and defeating hollows. He hadn't been able to find that blond haired girl though…


End file.
